Blood Ties
by AmericanMadeInChina
Summary: I loved him, my own brother. Alfred was just too irresistible, and maybe that's why it was foolish of me to think he wouldn't find someone else. (ONE-SIDED UKUS/USUK AU)


**I don't remember where this idea came from, but I just had to write it.**

**WARNINGS: INCEST, ONE-SIDED ROMANCE, HOMOSEXUALITY, MINOR VIOLENCE**

**Side note, this is gonna be from Arthur's point of view. Another side note, the big part in italics is a flashback. Okay I'll shut up now. ENJOY~**

Those few moments in which Alfred said those words were the worst I had ever experienced.

"Me and Julia are getting married!" he beamed at me as he exclaimed it.

I could feel the china teacup slip from my grasp. It felt like ages before it landed on the hardwood floor beneath us, shattering into hundreds of pieces of feminine designs and colours. My heart went along the cracking of the cup, releasing everything inside of it and drowning it in its own soul purpose.

The smile that had previously graced Alfred's face shifted into an expression of shock. "Art, you're bleeding!"

I looked down at where his gaze was locked, at my fingertips. I was indeed bleeding; the crimson liquid that was packed tight inside of my pale skin broke out of its cage and resided at my fingers. "Ah..." I muttered in realisation. The blood started to fall off of my digits, meeting the teacup that had crashed to the floor. Just as it did so, Alfred began to panic (and more than necessary, might I add).

"Crap! I'll be back!" he assured me as he bolted out of the living room and down the hall way.

I kept myself busy by staring at the blood that dripped down onto the floor in a rhythm it kept up with. I wasn't focusing on it, though. Rather, I was focusing on what Alfred had informed me of just seconds ago. I didn't want to believe it; my younger brother was getting married. But...he wasn't just my brother. He was so much more than that. It's disgusting, I know it is. Wanting to hold someone who is meant to be off-limits—it was disgusting. But it's impossible, since the plant of this love had already rooted itself into the ground and could not be removed, no matter the strength you possessed. The flower had already blossomed into something vile and dangerous, something that would remove all oxygen from the air and suffocate you. I had given up hope of my feelings ever being returned as soon as I discovered them, but that wouldn't stop them completely. Nothing would.

The sweet and giddy voice of the very man I was thinking of interrupted me of my thoughts. Alfred scurried towards my spot on the couch, his golden mop of hair bouncing as he moved. He kneeled down in front of me, showing that he had a bandaid and ointment.

_'He kneeled down for Julia not too long ago...'_ I couldn't help but picture the scene as Alfred squeezed the tube of ointment.

He dabbed the medicine on the bandaid as he inquired, "What was that all about?"

'_It was because you said that you were getting married.'_

_Because you love somebody else.'_

_Because I'm scared you'll run away with her.'_

_Because I'm scared I'll be left alone.'_

I kept all of those answers locked up where Alfred could not find them, and I buried them with a shrug of my shoulders.

My brother sighed, smirking as he looked up at me. "I thought you were supposed to be the big brother?" he teased.

My heart slammed itself against my ribcage like a wild animal. The endless sky that was hidden in his eyes was facing me, along with that curve of his lips that made my chest ache with desire and agony. For all of these years, I had never gotten quite comfortable with seeing that pure and innocent expression.

I was forced to direct my gaze somewhere else—anywhere else—to speak again. "Shut up..." I grumbled, my usually pale cheeks ablaze with a light crimson.

Alfred let out a hearty chuckle, but it ended dully. "Why, though?" he asked for the second time. By now, the bandaid was wrapped around my finger, but I didn't move my hand from Alfred's.

I searched frantically for some kind of reply, until I stumbled upon one. "It...it was just so sudden." That wasn't a complete lie; it _was_ rather sudden of him to just come out and say, "We're getting married!"

Luckily for me, Alfred seemed to buy it. He grinned sheepishly, and nodded his head in agreement. "I guess you're right. Sorry 'bout that." he apologised.

Alfred seemed to ignore the mess that still remained on the floor, and hopped up on the couch, beside me. "Well, if you're calmed down... Can I continue with the details?" he questioned.

_'No, don't continue.' _I smiled forcefully at him. "Yeah, sure." It hurt to say that, knowing what would come out of Alfred's mouth just seconds later.

"So, we were planning on it being four months from now." he informed me, staring off away from me as if in a daydream. "It's not gonna cost too much, though. The reception is gonna be all homemade; even the food!" Alfred said in exclamation as he looked back at me and grinned.

I nodded and continued listening blankly to my younger brother as he continued speaking.

_Our mother was from Britain, and our father from America. They met in Texas, and got married in their early twenties. I was born when our mother and father were in their mid-twenties—reasonably early. I was raised by my lonesome until, eight years later, my mother gave birth to a healthy and strong baby boy. From the moment they arrived home with my new sibling, Alfred had managed to strike me with his smile. I now find it peculiar, though. A newborn baby, sleeping in his mother's arms, cracked a small, toothless smile my way. I know it's stupid, but at one point in my life, I thought it was fate._

_Time went on, as did our lives. Not all of it was pleasant, though. I was barely thirteen, and Alfred just starting kindergarten, when somebody broke into our house. I heard the screaming of my mother erupting from downstairs, as did Alfred. I rushed downstairs with my brother trailing behind me. In the kitchen my mother was struggling against a man who looked about in his forties. He had a knife in his hand, and he was clearly aiming it at our mother. I can still remember the look of complete horror on her face when she noticed us. "Hide!" she shrieked. I remember telling her that I wouldn't leave. As she stumbled and fought against the assailant, mother told me I was being a fool and once again told me to leave. This time, I did as I was told. I ran, with Alfred's hand in mine, to anywhere but the kitchen. I heard the sound of the assailant calling my mother vulgar names; I wish I could've blocked those sounds out._

_Alfred stumbled behind me all the way to the basement and down the steps, but I made sure not to let him fall. The steal door we had was locked and left us safe as we scurried to a corner of the room. Alfred was sobbing uncontrollably, struggling to keep his cries down to mere whimpers. I was crying, too. I didn't want to know what was happening upstairs, and neither did Alfred. We wrapped our arms around each other, both shaking from fear. I prayed that this was a dream, that I would wake up with my heart pounding in my chest and sweat clinging to my skin. That I would run downstairs to my parents' room and see them safe and sound, wrapped securely in each other's arms. I did not wake up from that dream, though. I still remained in tears with Alfred, having each other being our only source of comfort._

_I had calmed myself, and rushed towards the emergency telephone we had in the basement. My fingers trembled as I dialled the police station's number. One hand held the phone, my other hand was being clutched by Alfred, who stayed by my side while I spoke to the officer. He briefly interrogated me, and I answered with a stuttering voice. I was grateful once he said he would send someone right away._

_A few minutes later, I heard the sound of sirens and the loud yelling of officers. It took roughly twenty minutes before someone knocked on the door of our basement. The voice I heard wasn't that of the assailant, so I opened the door, Alfred's hand still in mine._

_I found out that my mother and father were both stabbed to death the next day. We were both sent to live with our aunt, who was an alcoholic. She wouldn't beat us, but she often neglected us. She would eat everything she had made for dinner, and leave us to do our own laundry. I ended up babysitting until I was old enough to get a proper job. Luckily for me, most took pity on me and paid me extra._

_Time seemed to go by slowly; I grew up with Alfred coming up behind me. We were both extremely happy when I turned 18—the legal age of an adult. We took our belongings and went on a bus to go live in an apartment in Dallas. I used some of the money we had received from our parents once they were declared deceased to pay for the utilities. All in all, it wasn't that bad of a life once I was an adult. I homeschooled Alfred because he refused to go to public school. And, because of the feelings I possessed for him, I couldn't refuse. Once he reached age 18, he bought his own apartment, leaving my residence, but still visiting often. Apart from the occasional, more important events, nothing very exciting happened._

Except for this, of course. Alfred had girl friends before, but never anything this serious. For whatever reason, I thought the day would never come when he would let another person into his life. Perhaps it was because it was always just me and him; I supported him and he supported me. The thought of him supporting someone else other than me—it made my heart go aflame. I wasn't ready to let go of Alfred, and I never would be ready.

"Huh? Art? What's wrong?" the sound of Alfred's speech made my train of thought crash. Only then, did I feel the light stinging of a warm liquid dripping from my emerald eyes.

"Eh?" I lifted my head up, as I was confused by the sudden crash of my emotions.

I could hear the concern in Alfred's voice as he fretted over what was wrong with me. "Dude, you're crying!" He placed a warm and calloused hand on my flushed cheek, his fingers gently rubbing away some of the salty droplets of water. "What's wrong?" he inquired for a second time. I didn't know what to say. But how could I, when I myself didn't know the answer?

I stuttered over my words as I spoke. "I..." As I trailed off, I realised there were many things I could say. "I had something in my eye" or "the way you were talking just reminded me of this sad scene in this movie"... I didn't use any of those excuses, though. "Alfred, I..." I readied myself for what I was about to say. "I think I might be jealous of your girl friend." I admitted shamefully, looking towards the floor.

When I heard no sounds from Alfred, I clenched shut. I was prepared for the worse. Alfred telling me I was disgusting, being told that I was over-protective, that I was a complete imbecile-

"That's it?" I heard a sigh escape Alfred's lips before he asked it.

My eyes shot open and I froze. What did he mean by "that's it"?

My brother giggled a bit. "That's so cute! You're jealous of Julia?" he teased.

My head lifted to meet his gaze. "H-huh?" was all I managed to say. "Wha-?"

Before I could finish the word, Alfred's fingers pinched my flushed cheeks, making my pearly white teeth visible. "Don't worry about it, Artie!" he exclaimed, beaming at me. I growled when he used my other nickname, despite the situation. "I won't ignore you, ever! I promise!" He wrapped me in a bear hug, causing my heart to erupt in irregular beats. "You're my brother, dude!"

That word, there it was, "brother". It just reminded me how I would always remain. A _brother. _Nothing more than that. As I sat there, with Alfred's arms around me, with him telling me not to worry, I struggled to keep the dam of salty water behind my eyes from crashing down. My heart ached the more my brother spoke. No matter how comforting his words were, no matter how tight he embraced me, it wouldn't aid me and my broken heart. There was only one pill that would fix me, and Alfred was completely oblivious to it.

The day of Alfred and Julia's wedding came too quickly. I stood next to my brother, a well-practiced, forced grin on my lips. My act had everyone fooled; I would have to be the mature big brother, after all.

The world around me seemed invisible; the only person visible was my brother. He looked stunning in the suit I had helped him pick out. It wasn't tight enough to be uncomfortable, but it was snug so Alfred's muscles were slightly visible. Though, as I thought about it on the wedding day, perhaps I shouldn't have picked out such a breath-taking suit, because his soon-to-be wife would be even more eager to feel the warm, tan flesh that lay under it.

Few sounds around me were audible. I could not hear the empty vows that the old and wrinkly priest spoke. I could not hear the "yes" that both my brother and Julia said. I could not hear the orchestra of applause erupting from the crowd before us. I did, however, hear the crackling of my heart. I heard the pounding of my blood forcing itself through my arteries. A smell engulfed my nostrils, a mixture of cologne and fast food, the rest being indescribable. As quickly as it had arrived, the indulgence was washed away.

I forced my eyes to focus. The blur of movements that had once surrounded me slowly formed into a scene. Alfred, his hand in Julia's, was walking out of the church. I stood where I was, not daring to move just yet.

My beloved was in love with someone else, someone who wasn't his brother. But that was the thing. We had a special bond, a bond only siblings can share. But, it is even stronger, because my feelings go farther than brotherhood. It is an indestructible bond, different from that of any other kind. While Alfred's friendships and romances may break with time, our relationship would not be severed, because we were brothers.

I stared as the door to the church slammed shut, leaving me alone in the large building. The image of Alfred and Julia came to my mind again, but it didn't disgust me as much. My brother, my beloved, was happy. It dawned upon me, that him being happy was all that mattered. My happiness wasn't needed, as long as he achieved that indulgence. I would keep those dangerous feelings inside of me until the day I died. I didn't want that smile to be washed away because of my own selfishness. I would keep it there, even if it meant living through the torture of one-sided love. It was a vile, bitter-sweet one-sided romance. But that made it all the more beautiful.

**Okay I'm not gonna lie, I hope I made SOMEONE cry. I love that feeling.**

**Anywhore, please leave a review if ya liked it or not. If you did like it, it would be nice if you favourited this.**

**sorry if I made any grammatical/spelling errors ^J^**

**Okay, bai.**


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